Salome – Carol Ann Duffy Never again!

I needed to clean up my act,

I'd done it before get fitter,
(and doubtless I'll do it again, cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
sooner or later) Yes. And as for the latter,
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose? - it was time to turf out the blighter,
what did it matter? the beater or biter,
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted; who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
the reddish beard several shades lighter; to Salome's bed.
with very deep lines around the eyes,  
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter; In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew I flung back the sticky red sheets,
how to flatter... and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch -
which I kissed... was his head on a platter.
Colder than pewter.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
 
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter,
so rang for the maid.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter,
were just what needed -
hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the
batter.
Who is Salome?

Salome is a woman in the New Testament.

According to the Bible, Salome danced for
Herod on his birthday. He was so
impressed by her performance that he
said she could have anything she wanted.
She was prompted by her mother to ask
for the head of John the Baptist after he
was executed. The head was presented to
her on a plate.

In this poem, Salome is presented as a

cold, murderous woman in modern society.
Duffy creates a modern persona for
Salome.
 Th
fir is is
ha st t not
s h im th
Sh a e
pp th e
ed en is
an oes ed
.
be y r n’t
kn ca eg fe
wi ows use ret el
ll d th sh
o i at e
t a sh
ga e
in.

I'd done it before

(and doubtless I'll do it again,
sooner or later)
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose? -
what did it matter?

She doesn’t know who the man is next to her and she doesn’t seem to care.
She can’t remember who he is.
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
Pewter = a type of
the reddish beard several shades lighter;
metal.
with very deep lines around the eyes,
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter; This line makes the
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew reader suspect the
how to flatter... man is dead.
which I kissed...
Thes
Colder than pewter. matt e quotes
ed, h soun
But, is bear d no
we f d is rmal
ind o red, h – his ha
colou u t is lip ir
ring that the s are is
is fr ma n red.
The tone of th e om i
the b s dead
lood a
poem is casual. stain nd the
s.
Salome sounds
like she’s having
a chat with a
friend. She
doesn’t seem to
take the
incident
seriously.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
 
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter,
so rang for the maid.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter,

in g t o re m e m ber the The maid suggests that Salome

She is try
n a m e . D u f fy uses a list is wealthy. The maid is making a
man’s se link to
a l n a m e s – t h e lot of noise. This is emphasised
of biblic lome.
the story of Sa by the use of onomatopoeia.
were just what needed -
hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the batter.
Never again!
I needed to clean up my act,
get fitter,
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
This word has a double
meaning – it could mean
she’s been drinking. Or, it
could have a more literal,
violent meaning.

She is hungover from the night before. She says

she will clean up her act and change her unhealthy
lifestyle. Do you believe her? Remember at the
start of the poem she said she’d “do it again”. She
uses informal language.
Yes. And as for the latter,
it was time to turf out the blighter,
the beater or biter,
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed.
Alliteration – the ‘b’ sound is
quite harsh. These words
suggest that Salome assumes
the man is violent.

“lamb to the slaughter” is

a Christian image of
innocence. This contrasts
the previous line – now
the man is the victim.
 This could show her evil side. It
could also show that she is proud
of what she’s done – she enjoyed
what she did.

In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.

I flung back the sticky red sheets,
and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch -
was his head on a platter.

h e f in a ll y r eveals
o u t w h a t s h e’s done. S m s to enjoy
to ca r e a b d. S h e s ee
n’t seem in the be
Salome does d o n ly h is h e a d is
e n s he r e v eals the
at t h e m a n is dead an n ly s lep t w it h him – th
th r t hink she o
e r ea de
letting t h truth.
 Carol-Ann Duffy’s ‘Salome' in a
nutshell!
• Salome has become a serial remover of
heads.
• Having woken up with a severed head on
the pillow, she cannot even remember
the owner’s name!
• She calls for the maid, has breakfast
and decides to clean up her life.
 Initially there doesn’t seem
Casual almost
anything amiss. Many people
indifferent voice.
wake up in bed with a stranger
Sex is casual.
in the modern world. However,
knowledge of the original
Salome makes the words
I'd done it before profoundly shocking.

(and doubtless I'll do it again, Serial killer

sooner or later)
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose?
what did it matter?
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
the reddish beard several shades lighter;
Free verse. The narrator
is just awakening.
Red theme
An arrogant voice. Sounds almost
Lots of detail. boastful. They only have good
looking partners.
“The Godfather”
with very deep lines around the eyes,
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter;
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew
how to flatter... The mouth is cold because he is
which I kissed… dead. Kissing the decapitated
head is depraved and shocking.
Colder than pewter.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?

Red theme
Can’t remember his name! The murder is told
in a very matter of fact way. Her lack of
interest in the individual suggests she might
be a psychopath
 She is now more awake so the tempo picks up.

Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better

for tea, dry toast, no butter, Names of the disciples. Link
so rang for the maid. to the biblical roots of the
And, indeed, her innocent clatter poem.

of cups and plates, A very simple breakfast sits in

juxtaposition to the scale of her
her clearing of clutter, depravity.
her regional patter,
were just what needed -
hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the
batter.
Hard “c” sounds

Colloquial language. This makes it seem chatty and friendly

which is at odds with the violence and the madness.
 Doesn’t include
murder in her list
of things to cut
back on. Casual about
these things.
But also casual
Never again! about killing
I needed to clean up my act,
get fitter,
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
Yes. And as for the latter, Hates the male
it was time to turf out the blighter, sex. Misandry.

the beater or biter,

who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed.
Simile

Use of the 3rd person. She is a force

to be reckoned with.
 Red theme

In the mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.

I flung back the sticky red sheets,
and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch -
was his head on a platter.
Is she referring to
herself? Or is it
ironic sympathy for
her victim?
Poem culminates in the
decapitation. Echoes the
original biblical story.